The Impact Churches Plan
The following is an introduction to the impact churches...its vision, mission, core values, and methodology.
Vision
To impact the world for Jesus. (A world impacted for Jesus, especially among the spiritually and physically neediest peoples).
Mission
Making self-reproducing, fully-devoted followers of Jesus through meeting their spiritual and physical needs.
Core Values
- Devotion to God and to each other,
- Generous giving of resources to God’s work (time, finances, material possessions or lack thereof, etc.),
- Social action/involvement (meeting physical needs of people),
- Reaching the unreached & least reached,
- Ministering locally and around the world.
Methodology
Impact US: Planting American-culture congregations (ACCs) in conjunction with planting Ethnic-culture churches (ECCs), focusing on the reaching immigrant communities of peoples from unreached countries/Unreached People Groups (UPGs)/Creative Access Nations (CANs) of the world. One ACC would work with one or more ECCs in a particular church plant. Each ACC and ECC would be autonomous, yet mutually interdependent on each other. For example, the children of the ECC attendees would attend the ACC (no separate English Ministries in the ECCs). The leadership of each church planting cluster would meet as a leadership team for church cluster related decisions (moving location, buying property, etc.).
Impact Overseas: By reaching the immigrant communities in the US, we would like to develop leaders (especially, but not limited to, 1st generation) to take the Gospel to their countries/people groups of origin. Because of the interaction of Americans in the ACCs and immigrants (and their children) of the ECCs, some of these Americans will be called and have personal experience to serve cross-culturally, taking the tools that they have learned in America to their places of service overseas.
Impact Health: The Bible is replete with the fact that doctrine and life are not exclusive, but mutual. God’s people express their love for God in part by taking care of their fellow man. Just read the Torah, the prophets, the Gospels, and the letter of James, for example.
- Hunger and Famine – put an end to “stupid” hunger and famine.
- Disease – use our resources to fight disease, especially treatable diseases to which immunizations and medicine are not readily accessible.
- AIDS – prevention, treatment, and dignity
- War – relief and aid
- How? Farms; providing food and training; medical research institute to develop vaccines and to provide health care; serving as agents of peace and help; etc.
Impact Hopelessness (the Fatherless and Oppressed):
- Orphans, widows, and single parents
- Seek justice and help for the oppressed a) Inner-cities of America
- How? By sending the church to these parts of the world and using our resources to help others.
b) Slums and downtrodden throughout the world
God has blessed the Church in America materially and financially. It is time to stop wasting these blessings on ourselves and use these for their intended purpose…to be a blessing to others and to make God’s salvation known throughout the world.
Impact Workers: Double Tithe of believers to full-time Christian ministry, with a minimum of half of those going overseas to the unreached countries/UPGs/CANs (this does not diminish or reflect on the value and necessity of every follower of Jesus to use their gifts to enlarge and build up the kingdom. This is not intended to put a special group on a pedestal, but a full-time Christian minister has more time for ministry than the average lay person).
Impact Resources: Double Tithe of Income: Encouraging people to give generously and sacrificially to God’s work, starting with 20% of pre-tax income. I think of the early Church, as recorded in Acts 2 and 4, where the believers gave up their wealth for God, His people, and reaching the lost…people living in smaller houses, driving smaller cars, etc.
